discomfited. The girl's mother
writes to her friends and tells them the engagement is broken; no reason
is given and no person of tact or knowledge of social forms will inquire
why or ever allude to the matter to either of the parties to the
engagement or their parents.

"Being engaged" does not relax etiquette. It does not justify a journey or
an excursion together, nor appearance in public places unchaperoned.
Lovers refrain from caresses or evidence of their devotion in the presence
of others; in short they should conduct themselves with decorum.

The Wedding Trousseau.--In case everything goes well when the wedding day
is set it is the custom to announce the engagement in the society columns
in the newspapers. The trousseau is nearly ready, the linen chest is
filled, the details of the wedding settled. It is not customary now for
the expectant bride to have dozens and dozens of undergarments, to be laid
aside, turn yellow and go out of style. One dozen of each garment is an
ample supply for the average bride; even half a dozen new garments of each
kind have been known to answer every purpose. She should have a moderate
supply of shoes, corsets, gloves, petticoats, both silk and cambric, and
handkerchiefs. Fashions change so rapidly now that it is foolish to lay in
a great stock of gowns. The supply of these must be in accordance with her
social position and its requirements. After she is married, she will find
her table-cloths and napkins, sheets, and pillow slips and towels a much
greater source of satisfaction than a lot of passe gowns and wraps. Her
silver and linen are marked with the initials of her maiden name. These
initials are always embroidered on the latter.

The supply of table and bed-linen will depend upon the size of her house
and the style in which she lives. Six sheets and six pillow and bolster
slips are allowed to each bed, and twelve towels, half of them bath
towels, to each bedroom. She should have dinner and lunch cloths, with
napkins to match; it is usual to allow a dozen napkins to each cloth. It
is good economy to purchase all these in a good quality. The dinner cloths
and napkins should be of double damask, so called. The very large dinner
napkins--seven-eighths of a yard square--are less in favor than the
medium, three-quarter size. A fairly ample supply of comforts, down and
silk quilts, and blankets, is often acquired by purchase before marriage.

[732 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

WEDDIN